Flu vaccinations among offerings at two-day health clinic in Kansas City for uninsured

Uninsured people who register for appointments at the large, two-day free health clinic sponsored by the National Association of Free Clinics in Kansas City’s Bartle Hall on Wednesday and Thursday will be able to receive vaccinations for the H1N1 flu, seasonal flu and certain sexually transmitted diseases.

“We are pleased that our partnership with safety-net providers in the Kansas City area is allowing us to provide the vaccinations,” NAFC Executive Director Nicole Lamoureux said. “That partnership also is allowing us to offer some dental services, particularly extractions, but people who want these services must register ahead of time to get them.”

Uninsured people who want to schedule appointments for these and other medical services should call 877-249-5030 as soon as possible.

Although walk-ins will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis for many services, uninsured people who want to receive vaccinations or dental care must register for appointments. Scheduling appointments also reduces waiting time for patients.

More than 1,200 doctors, other medical providers and nonmedical volunteers have signed up to participate in the C.A.R.E. (Communities Are Responding Everyday) clinic. They will provide care for a wide range of medical issues at no cost to participants or taxpayers from noon until 8 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday.

This is NAFC’s fourth large C.A.R.E. clinic scheduled this fall. But unlike the previous free clinics in Houston, New Orleans and Little Rock, Ark., the Kansas City clinic will be offered for two days instead of one, and we will offer a wider range of medical services.

The earlier clinics served almost 1,800 people in Houston, more than 1,000 in New Orleans and more than 1,000 in Little Rock. Many people learned at those clinics that they had health issues they didn’t know about. Physicians found the vast majority of patients had three or more life-threatening conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and pulmonary disease.

“These C.A.R.E. clinics do more than provide one-time care for many individuals who have not had regular medical care for some time,” Lamoureux said. “We also connect the uninsured with free clinics and other safety-net providers near where they live so they can continue to receive medical treatment.”

More than 14 percent of non-elderly residents of both Missouri and Kansas do not have health insurance, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. There is an estimated 14,000 people without health insurance in Douglas County.